The Lion King 4: King Kovu of the pridelands
by Orcalover123
Summary: This is a story about Kovu and Kiara's cubs, Alisa and Titan. They have to find a way to take their place in the pridelands when the time is right, as danger strikes the land not long after their first exploration of the outlands.
1. The new cubs

**Chapter one - The new cubs**

* * *

It was a wondrous day in the pridelands as all the animals from the African plains of the Savannah began to head towards the tall rock where the lions lived, as the new princess and prince was born that morning and it was time for the big ceremony. At the rock, a young male lion was waiting outside the den for Rafiki, the mandrill who would begin the presentation of the new cubs, to arrive. As she finally got there, Kovu led her into a large den where Kiara was licking her new cubs. The king looked down at the two fluff balls. One was a small female with light-hazel eyes and Kiara's creamy-tonne of fur, only a little darker. The second, a boy which looked the most like his father with a black mane and tail along with Kovu's green-eyes and brown fur.

"What shall we name the girl?" Kovu asked, nuzzling his daughter.

"I think we should call her...Alisa," Kiara finished, admiring the cubs brown eyes and creamy fur.

"Nice name," Kovu smiled. "I think that the boy should be named Titan."

"Okay then," Kiara thought for a while. "But who shall take over and rule when our time has passed?"

"Um," Kovu said, thinking for a moment. "Maybe we could decide that later when they are older?"

"We can't do that Kovu," the queen said sadly. "The cub that is chosen has to have the sand sprinkled on them before we hold them up."

"Oh um," the king began. "You choose with Vitani and Kopa. I'm not good at choices."

As Kovu walked out of the den entrance, Vitani and Kopa came running up to Kiara. "Aw," Vitani began. "I remember when Aria was like that a week ago. She's started walking now."

With that said, a week-year-old cub came crawling into the den and looked down from Kiara's paw at the new cubs. She eyed them as Kopa came up to her. "Aria, go and join Timon and Pumbaa, there's no time to play now," Kopa said firmly, picking up his cub by the nape and beginning to make his way out of the den to where all the other lioness of the pride were sitting.

"I'm not really sure Kiara," Vitani hesitated. "Maybe it should be...Alisa or Titian."

Kiara rolled her eyes. "Nice try, but we still haven't chosen one."

Just then, Simba came into the cave to where the lionesses were still sitting, choosing a cub. "They are lovely Kiara," he said with a smile. "Have you decided who should rule yet? I personally think that it should be Alisa because she reminds me of you Kiara."

"But Titan reminds me of Kovu...let's just think of who would make a great ruler," the queen thought, looking down at the two once more.

As soon as the queen had make up her mind, she came outside with a male cub in her mouth and Kovu looked at her. "Is Titan going to be future king?" He asked, joining his mate.

"No," Kiara looked over to where Rafiki was holding up a cub with red stuff on it's forehead as the bowing crowd cheered and yelled. "Alisa is."

As soon as the future queen was bought down to her mother, Rafiki held up the second cub to present and soon the time went on and all the lioness were going to bed along with Kiara and Kovu who were the last ones in with their cubs. As they both walked in, Vitani was sleeping with Aria, next to her mate, Kopa. Kiara looked at the princess. "You will make a wonderful queen, I am sure of it," she said, settling down next to Kovu in the center of the lionesses. Then licking her two cubs once more, she closed her eyes and soon drifted off.

* * *

Weeks after the new cubs were born, both were now four months old and very exited to explore the brilliant new world that they had never been to on their own before. At the crack of dawn, a female cub ran out of the den and made her way up to the top of pride rock where she could see the whole of the pridelands and beyond. The outlands always fascinated her.

"This looks amazing," she cried from the very top of the rock, centimeters away from the edge. "I've never seen this place so...big. Usually I only see a little from the bottom and now I'm finally at the top."

"Alisa!" A voice shouted from the foot of pride rock. She looked down and saw her mother looking up at her. She looked really small from where she was standing. "What are you doing up there?"

As Alisa was future queen, everyone made a fuss of her and she had permission to go up to the top of pride rock, unlike the other cubs her age who were only aloud at the bottom. Sometimes it got annoying, especially when she had to always learn about being a queen while her father had finished his kingly duties and before he started them in the morning.

"I'm ready," she cried, yelling at the top of her voice. "Where is Dad?"

"Not today I'm afraid. He wondered if you'd like to help him with a crisis at the watering hole so you'd realize what sort of things you have to deal with when you are queen," Kiara called up to her daughter.

 _"Oh great," she thought._

As the princess got to the bottom of the steps of pride rock, Kiara gave Alisa a bath and soon she went over to help her father when she only wanted to explore while she had the chance. Sometimes it wasn't always a good thing to be a future queen as you could hardly ever play, just had to learn about boring stuff and responsibilities.

"Hey Dad," she began, eyeing the watering hole. "When can I go and play?"

"After I've taught you a few things," Kovu began, explaining every little detail of being a queen while the minutes seemed to go on for hours until finally the princess was free to go. She quickly ran off before her father could find anything else to go on about. Suddenly a paw stopped her in her path. She looked up. It was Kiara.

"Oh Alisa. You can't wonder off until I explain some things and until you have another bath because you're filthy," Kiara said, carrying her daughter over to a clean pool of water that had been filled up by the rain and began to bathe her.

 _"Ugh," Alisa thought. "I hate being a princess. Aria and Titan are probably having fun playing without me..."_

* * *

At pride rock, Aria was being lectured about going out of the pridelands by Kopa as well as Titan being told what to not do by the king. Unlike Alisa, the two cubs had a little talk until they were aloud to go. What they didn't realize was that Pumbaa and Timon were not following far behind, along with Zazu in the air just to make sure.

As soon as the two cubs began to fight and wrestle, they bumped into a lioness. Titan looked up quickly and recognized her at once then laughed.

"Having fun learning how to be queen?" The prince joked and Aria began teasing her as well.

"I'm sure it's loads of fun," the other princess joined in. "Don't let it get you down."

"Ha," Titan continued to laugh as Alisa pounced on her brother, pinning him down. Her best friend stopped laughing.

"You two are just jealous that I was the chosen one and you were not. I'm the smartest and the future queen and-" She began as Titan cut her off her sentence.

"A girl and the youngest which means that I should have taken your place instead," he pinned her back and soon all cubs began to roll down a hill as they hit an awful hot and dry land which burnt their paws as they began to walk through the horrible place.

"Ew," Aria screeched. "This is disgusting."

Titan coughed and looked parched as he hung his head down, tongue sticking out. "I...hate this place! Let's get out of here..."

"No time for that," a voice snarled. Suddenly a large shadow transformed into a horrible crocodile with it's teeth showing from it's mouth as it snapped and chased the three cubs.

"Aaa," Alisa cried as the creature caught her and began to kill.

"This is going to be great," it laughed, snapping it's teeth together as Titan began to run accept Aria. She stopped and watched her best friend as the creature grasped her in it's mouth. She had to think of something...and fast!

* * *

 **To be continued...**


	2. A threat to the pridelands

**Chapter two - A threat to the pridelands**

* * *

Just as the dark, evil creature snapped it's jaws, Alisa dropped to the ground in pain but soon got to her feet. Aria had slapped the monster in it's back and it laughed. "You think you can me that easily?" It growled with menace in it's voice, growing angrier by the minute. It hit Aria hard and soon she fell to the ground along with her best friend. The shadow moved towards them as it opened it's mouth, revealing piecing white teeth. At once, it swiped a paw at them but then it stopped. The creature turned around and saw a male cub gripping onto it's back. He had light-colored fur with dark brown eyes that looked as if they were completely black. The creature yelled in pain and ran off into the darkness as the cub let go and panted, catching breath. Aria and Alisa walked over to him and he looked them in the eyes.

"Hello," Aria said shyly.

"Hey, thanks for saving us. What's your name?" Alisa asked, still recovering from the fright of the monster.

The male cub looked up. "Rondo, what's yours?"

Aria smiled. "I'm Aria and this is my best friend, Alisa."

He smiled slightly at that moment. "Nice to meet you two. Are you guys outsiders?"

"No, we are pridelanders," Aria replied.

"Then what are you doing here?" Rondo asked, slightly confused.

"We were...exploring... and then there was this creature which I don't know what it was," Aria answered.

"You get used to it. They can be deadly but you always get them around here. Apparently they are planning a plot to kill the pridelanders from what my mother told me," Rondo said.

"Really? What else did she tell you?" Aria asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Nothing," Rondo said, beginning to leave. "I have to go now. See ya. Or not..."

The two friends looked at each other after he had disappeared into the dry lands. They didn't know what to think about the new cub and wondered if they would ever see him again.

"Shall we go now?" Aria asked.

Alisa had some cuts and bruises which didn't seem to bother her much. She never gave up so quickly with her adventures. "No, let's explore some more. I saw this really awesome den before that monster came here. Care to join me?" The princess asked.

"Um," Aria hesitated. "There might be some more of those horrible creatures. You never know..."

"You are such a coward. That was a one off..." Alisa paused, remembering Rondo's words.

 _"They can be deadly but you always get them around here," she recalled the cubs words in her mind._

"You know what? Maybe we should head back...or explore someplace else?" She asked.

"Alright, one more place then," Aria sighed, giving in quickly.

She followed her friend and soon set foot on the pridelands. They were so used to the hotness of the outlands that it made the two cubs pull back with surprise, then it soon came back to them so they continued walking along the edge of the pridelands where Alisa was heading towards an adventurous looking place which lay out in front of them.

* * *

Zazu left for pride rock. He had lost sight of the cubs as soon as they went tumbling down the steep hill and was determined to find them until he couldn't see them anywhere so decided to return home and let the king know. Soon, the tall rock came clear as Zazu flew at top speed across the beautiful yellow grass of the Savannah plains. Every minute he flew, the rock became clearer and soon the horn bill arrived. He looked in the den entrance but there were no lionesses around. They must be on the morning hunt. He searched every inch and corner of the den and rock but couldn't find anything so flew up to the very top to see if he might see the king from there. As Zazu was nearly thirteen inches off the ground, at once he saw Kovu looking down at the plains from where he was standing at the very top of pride rock. But just as he was about to fly, a large thunder clap filled the sky and raindrops began to fall and splatter on the ground, creating a wonderfully clear, fresh pool of water next to the pride lands where the pride usually took their baths in. It continued to thunder and lightening struck the skies, lighting it up with it's fascinating light. Soon, the storm was just too much and Zazu hit the ground with a thud. Just as the bird had recovered, a massive sound filled the land. It was just as Zazu had suspected. A giant stampede of antelope galloped in his direction, looking utterly frightened and bewildered. He looked up. Kovu had gone and the stampede was continuing towards him. He braced, awaiting the worst. But it never came. He turned around. Kovu and the pride were roaring with fury as they directed the running antelope back where they came from.

"Zazu?" The king asked the horn bill. "Where are the cubs?"

"Um, I don't know really..." He replied with hesitation in his voice. "I lost track of them."

Just then, Kovu turned around at the voice of a young cub running towards them. He stopped. It was Titan. "Dad!" He cried in disbelief. "What's going on? I was running, thinking that a creature was following me, then it began to thunder and then I saw that the antelope were instead so I hid in a hole! Titan cried, barely stopping for breath. "Then I got here and I found out that Alisa and-"

"Shh," Kovu cut off his son, looking alert all of a sudden. He looked at the lionesses and then at Vitani. "Vitani, take Titan back to pride rock."

"Why? My daughter hasn't returned!" She cried as the king walked up to her.

"Look, I know what's best. They will come back but right now I need to make sure that nobody is in the pridelands without permission," Kovu said.

"But Kovu, where's Alisa?!" Queen Kiara cried, running up to her mate. "She hasn't come back yet."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll deal with that later but first I need to find out where that noise is coming from," he said, already leaving along with half the pride with a look of suspicion on his face.

"What's going on?" Kopa asked, following close beside his best friend.

Vitani left with the prince and Kiara walked beside her as the rest of the pride followed the path which lead into the outlands. Kovu watched them go and sighed, shaking his head.

"I don't know exactly, but I'm sure that I heard a noise that sounded like...not sure. Oh well, let's get the pride together and find our daughters now," Kovu said as he began to gather up the lionesses that hadn't gone back with the queen.

"I wonder where they are," Kopa said, worried that his daughter had gone someplace she wasn't aloud to go to.

"The outlands I bet...why would she? I told her like a million times not to go there, yet she still disobeys me!" He roared, frustrated at his daughters disobedience.

"I know, I told Aria not to as well. I should have known better than to let her leave like that..." Kopa sighed.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a faint growling noise and the whole pride hid behind a nearby bush, looking out for any signs of animals around them. They waited a long time but heard nothing more. At once, two shadows ran out of the trees and Kovu recognized them straight away. "Alisa? Aria!" The king roared. "Where were you two?!"

"Aria, I told you not to wonder off like that," Kopa cried.

As soon as the pride came out of the bushes, the king picked up his daughter by the nape of her neck and as soon as Kopa did the same with Aria, the whole pride left and followed close behind the two males.

Aria and Alisa never looked at each other, nor did they dare to say anything as they knew that they would be in huge trouble when they got back to pride rock.

* * *

The pride remained silent the whole way home and just before Kopa and Kovu got back to pride rock, they dropped their cubs and the king motioned for his pride to go on as both males wanted a private talk with the two princesses.

As soon as Aria and Alisa sulked, Kovu began to scold his daughter. "What were you doing Alisa? You know you were not aloud to go towards to outlands or out of the sight of pride rock! Why did you disobey me like that?"

Alisa looked up and began to explain. "Well...Aria, Titan and I wanted to go...and explore the outlands. There was this weird monster thingy..."

"Monster? What did it look like? I have to know. This could be a sign..." Kovu cried, questioning his cub.

"Well, it was green and...wait, what sign?" Alisa paused, not knowing whether she should be frightened or confused.

Kovu shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'll ask Rafiki later. You are free to leave now, but remember to never leave pride rock like that again and you will not be aloud to go off for a few days as a punishment."

"What? Your so unfair!" Alisa cried, bursting into tears. "You can't do that!"

"Look, calm down. Only for a few days until you realize what you've done," Kovu said softly. "You are future queen you know."

"I know!" Alisa sighed in utter disgust that he had punished her like that but knew he meant it so gave up. "Fine..."

Kopa had told Aria the exact same thing and was now taking his cub over to pride rock where Vitani was waiting to discipline her daughter.

* * *

 **To be continued...**


End file.
